It's a 'Ramona' three-for-all in Ojai

Kelsie Hoj, Sophie Massey and Sage Pitcher each bring a different kind of energy to the title role in Ojai production of 'Ramona Quimby'

KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR
Kelsie Hoj (from left), Sophie Massey and Sage Pitcher have all been cast as Ramona in the Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio’s production of “Ramona Quimby.”$RETURN$$RETURN$

KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STA
Kelsie Hoj (from left)}, Sage Pitcher and Sophie Massey, who all play Ramona in “Ramona Quimby,” are good friends and have performed together in previous Ojai productions.

Karen Quincy Loberg

KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR

Karen Quincy Loberg

KAREN QUINCY LOBERG/THE STAR
During a rehearsal, Sophie Massey, 9 (left), plays Ramona and Keaton Kim plays her older sister Beezus in the Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio’s production of “Ramona Quimby,” based on Beverly Cleary’s books. Sophie said she had read the Ramona series, “and when I saw auditions for (the play), I thought it would be fun to be a character from the books.”

Ramona-rama has hit Ojai.

The three R's in town are all literary: Ramona, Ramona and Ramona.

Ojai Youth Entertainers Studio has cast three local girls to play the title role in "Ramona Quimby," a play based on Beverly Cleary's everlasting children's books about 8-year-old Ramona, her beleaguered older sister, Beezus, their parents and the other residents of Klickitat Street.

In the books, published from 1955-99, Ramona grows from 4 to 10 years old. In the play, which combines story elements from several of Cleary's books, Ramona is 8, a third-grader.

One Ramona Geraldine Quimby is more than enough to handle, as readers of Cleary's series know. Ramona, equally exasperating and endearing, creates trouble without intending to, often because of her active imagination. Why not drop crumbs around the house, or burn a "witch" (a doll) by dropping her into lasagna cooking in the oven? Hansel and Gretel did it.

The Ojai Ramonas — Kelsie Hoj (pronounced "Hoy"), Sophie Massey and Sage Pitcher — are all a little older than 8 and not inclined to burn rubber or earn the nickname "the Pest." ("Ramona the Pest" was one of the early books in Cleary's series.)

But as OYES director Gai Jones said, the three girls are the ideal Ramona because they are all "real."

During auditions, Jones said, "I was looking for realness — not a bratty kid, but one who says, ‘This is who I am,' stands up for her own rights and is not afraid to show emotions."

Jones found her Ramonas in Kelsie, Sophie and Sage — all students she's worked with in other productions. Describing what each girl brings to the role, Jones used one word in common for all three: "energy."

During the 12-performance Ojai run, tonight through Feb. 17, each Ramona will step into the role four times.

The called-for cast of characters is not huge — "five males, nine females and extras," according to the script by Len Jenkin, who adapted Cleary's books for the stage — but the Ojai production includes 40 people, said Jones, because many of the main roles are double- or triple-cast.

Jones also is billing "Ramona Quimby" as OYES' first "intergenerational" play, with Ojai kids, parents and grandparents as cast or crew.

The stage families include Kelsie, her older sister Kirsten as Beezus (another role that has been triple-cast) and dad John as Mr. Quimby. Mom Kim Hoj, who teaches dance at Nordhoff High School, helped with "a bit of choreography" for one scene in the show.

In a mother-daughter pairing, Keaton Kim plays one of the Beezuses and mom Krista Kim is Mrs. Quimby. The production even manages a three-generational casting coup: Claire Hankins is a Beezus, while her dad Dave plays multiple townspeople and her grandfather John stars as Uncle Hobart.

According to Kim Hoj, "The sibling rivalry is art imitating life. When we read the script, we thought it was funny the girls could get away with fighting in a legitimate manner."

Kirsten, 13, an eighth-grader at Matilija Junior High School, added, "We do fight a lot, but we still love each other as sisters." Kelsie said of the family casting, "You get to make memories."

"Mixing up the cast and generations keeps people on their toes," Jones said. "The advantages are they help each other," she said, adding diplomatically, "Once in a while I have to make sure the parents are helping out with tech stuff instead of directing their child."

Life on Klickitat street

Jones said she has directed the play before, and "every actor and audience relates — it's human and funny."

Along with very real characters, she said, the story itself "deals with real, timely issues with kids," including economic afflictions — Ramona's dad loses his job, her mother has to go back to work, and the family must curtail regular trips to Ramona's favorite restaurant, Whopper Burger.

Sibling rivalry simmers between Ramona and older sister Beezus (the nickname came from Ramona; she couldn't pronounce "Beatrice" when she was little), who's starting to feel teenage angst, although sisterly love shines through, too.

Despite the Quimbys' travails, nothing is drastically dramatic.

"Klickitat Street," says Beezus, who narrates the play, "is just there, in a nice sort of quiet way. Sprinklers and bikes and garage door openers, and the rows of houses full of couples and their kids."

If this were a TV "reality" show, the three girls playing the role of Ramona in "Ramona Quimby" would be tearing each other's hair out in diva-like jealousy over who's the quintessential Quimby. Sorry, but in Ojai reality, they don't just get along — they're good friends.

Meet the Ramona trio (in alphabetical order by last name):

Kelsie Hoj

Age: 10, will turn 11 on Valentine's Day with her twin brother, Jonah.

School: Fifth grade at Topa Topa School.

Describe Ramona: "She's funny, creative and kind of a troublemaker. She means well but sometimes gets herself in trouble."

How are you like, and not like, Ramona?: "I'm funny, but I'm not that big of a troublemaker."

Funniest scene?: "One of my favorites is the scene where (Uncle) Hobart is singing to Ramona. (I) have to act like (I'm) very kind of scared of an old guy singing to (me)."

"Ramona" family stage ties: Dad John Hoj, a history teacher, plays Mr. Quimby, and older sister Kirsten, 13, plays one of the Beezuses.

What have you learned by playing Ramona?: "If she were a real person she would be fun to hang out with.

Praise from director Gai Jones: "Because Kelsie gets to play opposite her own sister, we did some improvisation with them."

Sophie Massey

Age: 9.

School: Fourth grade at Crane Country Day School in Montecito.

Describe Ramona: "She's mischievous. She tries to do things right, but usually gets things wrong. She's really sweet, and sometimes kind of whiny."

How are you like, and not like, Ramona?: "I'm kind of like Ramona because I'm kind of sweet, and I'm not like Ramona because I don't really get in trouble as much as her, and I don't have an older sister. I have two half-brothers."

Funniest scene?: "Probably when I'm trying to do a commercial I saw on TV. Ramona's face is all cheesy and her face is twisted up."

Previous stage roles: Oompa Loompa in "Charlie and the Chocolate Factory"; Molly in "Annie"; Virginia in "Yes, Virginia, There Is a Santa Claus."

Nontheatrical pursuits: All the world's a stage for Sage. "I like to dance and sing," she said.

Praise from director Gai Jones: "She's kind of like an energy ball, and has a wonderful natural instinct."

‘Ramona Quimby'

Ojai Youth Entertainment Studios opens its 2013 Young Entertainers Series with the stage play based on Beverly Cleary's children's book series about 8-year-old Ramona and her family. 7:30 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays, 2 p.m. Sundays, today through Feb. 17, 316 E. Matilija St., Ojai. Tickets, $15 for general admission and $10 for seniors and students, are available at 800-838-3006 or visit http://www.brownpapertickets.com. For more information, call 646-4300 or visit httw://www.ojaiyes.org.

The Young Entertainers Series will continue with "The Little Mermaid Jr." (May 9-19) and "James and the Giant Peach" (Sept. 20-29).